I am always around
by marydavid
Summary: Lois will discover who the real Clark is and the real reason why Superman had left the Earth and why Richard and Clark seem to know each other for a long time ago, interesting events.


**I am always around**

**Disclaimer:** Of course, I am not the owner of Superman Returns but I am trying to make my own story using some characters and incidents from this wonderful movie.

**Note:** I know that this movie was released in 2006 and it is a bit old but to be honest I liked it more than the movie of The Man of Steel so my story will be based on it.

* * *

**Chapter One**

* * *

Clark Kent, the gentle shy reporter entered the bullpen that was full of busy reporters doing different chores that their chief had given them in the morning meeting. He was a bit late as usual and he missed the meeting and he knew quite well that the chief will skin him alive for being late after the absence of five years from work. He was clutching some few papers in his hand so tightly as if he lost them, he would lose his dear life and he headed quietly to his desk, he dropped his business bag on the desk and before he sit on his seat an impatient loud voice called him,

_"Kent, to my office, Now"_, yelled the gray haired chief from the door of his office. The dark haired farm boy gathered his papers and headed quickly towards their boss's office, strangely without tripling over anything or colliding with anyone. As he entered the office, he noticed that the boss was not alone, there was the woman he loved the most sitting in one seat, and she was chewing on the tip of her pen and tipping her shoes on the hard floor. He concluded that she is nervous and frustrated before he could complete scrutinizing her; the angry voice of the chief cut him and forced him to focus on the old man,

_"Why are you late Kent and where were you in the events of the last two days? No one had seen you since the day you came back as if you are vanished from the face of the Earth, "_

The mild- mannered reporter was sweating and the nervousness was written all over his face, he couldn't afford losing his job but he was not sure if his manager would buy his story, all he could do, he gathered the papers that he was holding and put them quietly on the desk of the furious chief and his gesture was rewarded by confusion from both the manager and his beautiful colleague.

_"Um,I… I was working on this cases and I..I wrote two ..articles, you may be interested in,"_ the dark-haired reporter stuttered nervously.

When Perry heard that there were articles, he wasted no time in snatching the papers from his desk and scanning them carefully then his grim facade turned to one full of joy and pride and he exclaimed happily,

_"That is my boy, you did great job writing those articles each one of them deserves to be in the front page, "_

The excitement that Perry was feeling didn't make forget about the disappointment he felt when he called Lois and asked her if she wrote any article about Superman and to his grief, she told him that she couldn't write anything and that was enough to make his blood boils in his veins and he found that the articles that Clark had written will be enough to give the mad dog Lane the urge to write something good deserves the front page.

_"Look Lois, Clark wrote two wonderful articles one of them about the blackout and the other one about the New Krypton. He proved to me that he hadn't lost his touch in writing so I will assign him to be your partner in your new mission about evaluating the size of damage the earthquake had left,"_ the old man was fully aware that he was pushing all the buttons of the young female reporter but she deserved that for her slacking in doing her assignment.

_"Perry, you know quite well that I don't need any babysitter, I am a big girl and I am fully capable of doing my investigates alone,"_ she protested forcefully while hitting with her hand very hard on the poor wooden desk of her chief making some of the files and papers fell from the desk and rested on the ground. Of course, her Chief won't let her go with her bad deed; he will give her a piece of his mind.

_"Lois, I am the chief here and my orders are to be done, Understood?"_

The brown-haired reporter knew this tone of Perry quite well and this means; she has no choice other than to oblige his orders so she gathered her things quickly and stormed out of his office as if ghosts were chasing after him. Kent who was a silent audience to the whole situation started to take his leave quietly but his boss stopped him on his track.

_"Son, don't be angry with her, she was feeling confused and stressed after all the crazy events that happened in the past two days from the shuttle accident, the reappearance of Superman, her Kidnap and New Krypton. So try to be patient with her."_

_"I understand Sir,"_ was the only reply, he could give to his boss. He knew that the man was treating them as his children and he respects this man and even loves him from all his heart and he will do anything and everything the man will ask from him. Even if he has to endure the torture of dealing with a furious mad dog lane.

_"Now, you can go Kent, and I wish you good luck,"_the chief dismissed him without raising his eyes from the papers that he got from Clark.

Clark left the chief's office and he was about to head to his partner's desk but he found her desk empty so he scanned the bullpen quickly with his eyes and he found no trace for the fiery reporter. He raised his gaze to the rooftop of the Planet but he didn't find her there either so he concluded that she left him behind to start her investigations by herself. In the past, before he left the Earth, he would let her do what she wanted to do because he had to be the goofy mild-mannered reporter who can't break her word and can't stop her from doing anything foolish but now for some reason, he feels that he has to be himself, not Superman and not the bumbling goofy reporter. He needs to be his real self; he needs to be Clark that only his parents know him well.

With renewed resolve to show Lois and all his colleagues who the real Clark Kent is, he headed quickly towards the elevator and pushed the lobby button, he X-rayed the lobby and he found his target still in the lobby and was heading towards the revolving door that separated the Daily Planet from the street.

When his trip in the elevator ended, he wasted no time and sprinted after his brown-haired partner and before her hand touch the door of the cab that she stopped to take her to her first destination, she found a large hand opened the door for her and a sweet gentle voice said to her,

_"I am glad, I caught you in time,"_ she raised her eyes from the hand that holds the door for her to the face of the man who was standing beside her and she was surprised to see it was Clark. When their eyes met, he flashed a gentle but confident smile at her that made her heart sped really high and she couldn't tell why the mere smile of her colleague make her reacts this way but she dismissed this feeling and let her annoyance took over her.

_"What are you doing her, Kent? Don't you have anything to do other than following me?"_ she was expecting the mild- reporter to stutter while he is apologizing to her about following her but his reaction take her off guard. He raised his eyebrows while keeping his annoying confident smile on his face and said coolly,

_"I guess you heard that Perry had assigned me to help you out in your investigation and I am here because I am doing my job."_

The small furious reporter can't handle this change in the demeanor but she also has no time to ask him about the change that happened to him so she get into the cab with a huff and gave some space for Clark to climb beside her, he joined her after a little effort from him to make his large frame fit in the small cab and when they settled the cabbie asked them about their destination before she could open her mouth to say any place, he beat her and told the man to head to the Central Park. She glared at him but he didn't flinch as what he used to do in the past but he flashed her goofy sweet smile that made her blood boil in her veins. The cab started moving with only one thought on her mind, **"_Who is this man sitting beside me?_"**

To be continued,


End file.
